Ipsos Data Drops: Unpacking U.S. attitudes on food, health and regulation

IPSOS DATA DROPS: Boycotts in America March 2025

Key Takeaways:

Americans from all backgrounds are concerned about how their diets impact their health and well-being. Half think chemicals or unsafe additives in foods are a moderate or large risk to their health and well being, with just one in ten saying they pose no risk.

Democrats, Republicans, and Independents agree that the government should do more to ensure food safety. That common ground exists despite a significant partisan gap in trust toward the FDA and other health institutions.

Women, and mothers in particular, are among the most concerned about the health risks of processed foods. Meanwhile, by age group, Americans over 65 are most passionate about strengthening food regulations.

Older Americans are the strongest supporters of food safety inspections

93% of Americans think the U.S. government’s capacity for food safety inspections should be strengthened or kept as it is, with the vast majority in favor of strengthening. That’s more than the percentage in favor of boosting or maintaining Medicaid (82%), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (83%), or the Affordable Care Act (72%). But while food safety inspections are popular with Americans of all ages, Americans over 65 are practically unanimous in thinking these functions should be strengthened or kept as-is.

There is a bipartisan call to action on food safety. 86% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats, and 87% of independents strongly or somewhat agree that the government should do more, from labeling artificial dyes to updating nutritional guidelines.

Democrats and Republicans agree that the government should prioritize food safety...

Food safety is among Americans’ top perceived health risks

Half of Americans think chemicals or unsafe additives in foods pose a moderate or large risk to their health and well-being, with one in four considering it a large risk. Though food dyes are a lesser concern, only 14% think they pose no risk.

What's Next

Healthier food is no fringe issue. Half of Americans think additives and unsafe chemicals pose a moderate or significant threat to their health. They also name obesity as the #1 threat to public health in the U.S. Brands must meet that demand. But if they make assumptions about MAHA and the politics of these issues, they risk overlooking the partisan common ground on healthier food, or the strong demand for safety and transparency among mothers and women. Federal food safety inspections have near-universal approval — and yet, a majority of American say FDA approval is not enough to make them feel safe about consuming foods with pesticides or artificial dyes. If consumers are losing trust in institutions, brands must build that trust themselves.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT:Mallory NewallVice President, Ipsos Public Affairsmallory.newall@ipsos.comOr visit the Ipsos Consumer Tracker archive and the Ipsos Top Topics page.

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IPSOS DATA DROPS: Boycotts in America March 2025

IPSOS DATA DROPs

Unpacking U.S. attitudes on food, health and regulation

July 2025

Check out our other DATA DROPS for more compelling data & insights

Source: Axios/Ipsos American Health Index, fielded on Ipsos KnowledgePanel June 13-16, 2025 among 1,104 U.S. adults

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Yet 74% of Democrats trust the FDA a great deal or a fair amount, compared with 44% of Republicans. Another key signal: a majority (67%) of Americans do not think foods that contain pesticides or artificial food dyes in them are safe to eat, even if they are approved by the FDA.

Source: Axios/Ipsos American Health Index, fielded on Ipsos KnowledgePanel June 13-16, 2025 among 1,104 U.S. adults

… Despite divergent trust in the institutions that would carry out these policies

In December 2024, 61% of women trusted the FDA a great deal or fair amount. By June 2025, that percentage had fallen to 54%. At the same time, nearly half of women (46%) think eating or drinking things with food dye in them is a large or moderate health risk, compared with 36% of men. And one in three women (31%) strongly agrees that foods that contain pesticides or artificial food dyes in them are not safe to eat even if they are approved by the FDA, compared with 23% of men.

Source: Axios/Ipsos American Health Index, fielded on Ipsos KnowledgePanel June 13-16, 2025 among 1,104 U.S. adults

Trust in FDA softening among women

While women in general are concerned about food safety, mothers of children under 18 are far and away the most worried. Three out of four moms think chemicals and unsafe additives in foods present a large or moderate health risk, putting them 20 percentage points above the general population.

Source: Axios/Ipsos American Health Index, fielded on Ipsos KnowledgePanel June 13-16, 2025 among 1,104 U.S. adults

Mothers of young children are the most concerned about unhealthy foods